Shorefall (Founders, #2)

by Robert Jackson Bennett

She wrinkled her nose. She much preferred tinkering with Orso’s scrivings. They could be a bit grumpy, but at least they were a lot less touchy-feely.

I absolutely adore the idea that a scriver's personality can affect their work. It truly is an art.

Exposed in the back of the little fishing boat, Sancia felt a raw, screaming terror when she looked back and saw there was no sign of Tevanne, or indeed land at all. It felt like they were in a tiny bucket with the whole hostile world waiting to swallow them up.

“The world is broken. It is unbalanced. It is a design, poorly planned, and poorly wrought. You know that, don’t you?” “Those slaves, below,” said Gregor. “All the people in the plantations. In the Mountain. All dead. Yes, Mother. Yes, I know the world is broken—and that people like you are the ones who broke it.”

Gregor is so compassionate and I truly love him.

“I would rather risk a life of damnation,” said Gregor, “and save her, than abandon her and stay with those who first damned me.”

LOOK AT THIS PERFECT HUMAN BEING.

Even though he was worried, terrified, and anxious about tonight, he couldn’t help but feel a queer sort of elation as he watched them put the finishing touches on everything and load it into the carriage. It took him a while to realize it was pride.

Orso continues to be incredibly relatable to my Autistic self.

Orso said harshly, “I had always thought the first of all hierophants had to be a bit mad. But to discover now that he’s such a stupid bastard too . . . Well, it’s damned anticlimactic, I’ll say that.”

I love Orso too. He never hides his opinions.

“You can’t control innovation!” said Orso. “You can’t structure how people invent! That’s not how any of this shit works! Making and inventing is an ugly, stupid, random, dangerous process—just like humanity itself. Most of the really brilliant shit I came up with I came across by pure accident! You can’t bring order to something that’s functionally, well, disorder.”

PREACH IT!

But the line between life and death is always blurred. To live is to die, just very, very slowly.”

This is strangely beautiful.

we are all glimpsing the world from different angles, and each of us sees only a tiny, fleeting bit of it.”

If only more people remembered this!

“No sacrifices?” said Gregor. “I am thousands of sacrifices,” said Valeria coldly. “Whatever sacrifices might be necessary have already been made.”

This was the moment I realised Valeria was insane herself.

“I’m going to chance it,” said Sancia. “But if I start screaming or something—” “Run like hell,” said Orso. “Got it.” “No, I meant come and get me, asshole!” said Sancia. “God!”

Orso and Sancia bouncing off each other is always funny! I love how exasperated she is, like this is a riff on a conversation they've had many times before.

“I take it that it doesn’t,” said Ofelia. “You still don’t trust me.” “I don’t trust someone who would put so many slaves to the sword all to bring back a monster. No.”

Berenice is the quietest member of the group but when she wants to be she is the most savagely merciless.

What a wondrous thing, to share my life, and be loved.

Orso telling it like it is. Getting to see him raw and unguarded for a while was genuinely one of the best reading experiences I've had in a while.

Orso looked up and saw the rain of bolts and shriekers plummeting down at him. He thought of Berenice. Her calm, steady eyes. Her slow, creeping smile. Her ravenous, brilliant talents. May she flourish.

Love is when your last thoughts are of someone else and being so proud to know them. Orso's passing hit me like Truck-kun.